We're halfway through August, which means that the 2023 March on Washington – a continuation of Dr. King’s original march 60 years ago – is just over one week away. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s march: - It’s not a commemoration – it’s a continuation. We’re still fighting many of the same fights from six decades ago: Civil rights. Police violence. Voting rights. We’ve made progress – but we still have a long way to go.
- People are coming from every corner of the country to join us on Saturday, August 26. Students, churches, families, activists, elected officials, labor, national organizations – a diverse coalition representing various racial and religious backgrounds will be there to march for our collective rights.
- We need your assistance to make it happen. From buses to help secure transportation, to signs and supplies for the march, this is one of our biggest actions of the year.
- Whether it’s attending the demonstration, telling your family and friends, or donating as little as $5.00 to NAN, your support is crucial.
Watch
our video on this year’s March on Washington, share with your friends –
and then chip in to help us reach our fundraising goal and make this
pivotal march a success.
Thank you,
National Action Network
Arndrea Waters King, wife of Martin Luther King III and President of the Drum Major Institute stated: “The struggles Black and Brown
Americans, particularly women and girls, faced 60 years ago are, in many
ways, still prevalent today. Dr. King called on us all to work to eradicate the triple evils
of racism, poverty and violence by standing for peace, justice and
equity. As a mother, I’m afraid for my teenage daughter, but I am
empowered to use my voice to ensure her future, and the future of all
young girls, is as bright as her grandfather dreamed. Juneteenth reminds
us that there is no challenge too big for us to overcome when we use
our collective voices to bring about the change we need. This August,
we are inviting people from all over the world, from all walks of life,
to join us in Washington, DC to call for action. Too many politicians
have made Black and Brown Americans’ and marginalized groups’ lives
unnecessarily difficult. It won’t be easy, but if we use our voices for
good, change will happen, and this is our time to demand it. It’s our
turn to help realize the Dream and make democracy for all a reality.”
“The March on Washington will not just
be a commemoration but a continuation of what Dr. King and our
predecessors started,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network (NAN).
“We must remember why we are still marching: the civil rights of Black,
Brown, Asian, Jewish, LGBTQ Americans and women are under relentless
attack. There is a concerted effort to undermine our democracy. There
are many working week by week to peel away these rights, take away our
history, or stop us from celebrating holidays like Juneteenth. I am
honored to stand with the King family as we bring together these groups
for a historic, cross-cultural and cross-generational demonstration to
show that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Together, we
will show the nation the strength in our unity and our resolve to
realize Dr. King’s dream of a fair nation for all of us.”
NAN, along with other partner organizations, has arranged for free buses leaving from various cities throughout the US:
NAN HEADQUARTERS: www.Nationalactionnetwork.net or call 212.690.3070
For information on buses in other cities also contact: 212.690.3070
Philadelphians can pre-register by contacting Philadelphia NAN: 215.696.0424
According to Rev. Jerome Fordham, of PHILADELPHIA NAN, "Our
chapter will have buses leaving from Rev. Leon Sullivan's Progress
Plaza, 1501 N. Broad St.,(near Jefferson St), Philadelphia, promptly at
6:00AM. Passengers are required to be there for check in no later than
5:45AM. The bus will be leaving on time. If you get there by 6:01,
you will not be on the bus," he stated emphatically. There will be
limited accommodations for those who have mobility issues and use
wheelchairs or scooters to get around. The buses are scheduled to
return to Philadelphia by 5:00PM."
Fordham continued: "The
reason why we're having this continuation is because Freedom isn't
free! There is a cost! Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life for the
cause of all people - Black white, polka dot, grizzly grey if you
please. He gave his life for all people to have a right to sit at the
table. But, as you see from 1963 to now, there were some changes that ,
in the 60s and the early 70s, but things have started sliding back over
the last few years. We made a lot of progress, but it seems that the
older people have been holding it down for the last thirty, forty, fifty
years; but the younger ones don't seem to want to pick up the mantle.
You must realize that if you don't understand history, you are doomed to
repeat it - and these folks are not playing. Look at the handwriting
on the wall. Think about it! If that young girl hadn't had her cell
phone camera on when George Floyd was murdered, there would never have
been a trial when he was brutally murdered. These people are serious.
They want to wipe us out. We can't sit on the sidelines and sleep
through these threats. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! There's no time to be playing
around. These folks are serious. And we can't sleep on it!"
The 2023 MLK CONTINUATION March will be co-chaired by:
- AAJC
- Anti-Defamation League
- Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Legal Defense Fund
- NAACP
- National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
- National Council of Negro Women
- National Urban League
- UNIDOS
The coalition will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on Saturday,
August 26, 2023. The pre-program for the event will begin at 8:00 a.m.
ET with the main program beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. Following the
program, a march will begin through the streets of the Nation’s Capitol.
For
additional information, tune in on Saturday morning, August 19, 2023,
for the NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK Where the Action Is broadcast 9:00 -
11:00AM on YouTube, FaceBook, and their website:
www.nationalactionnetwork.net to get the latest updates from Rev. Al Sharpton.
FOR
THOSE WHO CANNOT ATTEND, BUT WANT TO SUPPORT THE MARCH, YOUR DONATIONS
ARE MUCH NEEDED AND APPRECIATED - click on the donate button below:
